Level.



|..S. CREAMER.

LEVEL.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 22, I9I3.

Patented June 1 MJL NWI

mvmwI lvwewcoz OTO-LITHO.. WASHINGTON. D. C.

IRVIN S. CREAIVIIER, OF PLEASANT HALL, PENNSYLVANIA.

' LEVEL.

cation.

p My invention relates to leveling instruments and particularly toV levels used by Y carpenters, masons and like craftsmen.

One object of my invention is the provision of a level, the body of which is formed in two Vlongitudinally disposed` sections hinged together at one end to permit them to be disposed-at an angle to each other, and in this connection to provide a novel form of mounting for a screw whereby the free ,ends of the two sections may be relativelyshifted. y

A further obj ect is to provide a graduated scale attached to the end of one of the sections and an index member attached to the with the movement of the section towhich it is attached whereby the inclination of one of said members or sections relative to the other member may be read in degrees or fractions of inches.

Another object is to provide a simple and novel means for adjusting the bubble glass.

A. further object is to provide Vin connection with a level of the characterdescribed abubble declinometer whereby thel inclination of the body may be read.

My invention is illustratedin the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 Vis a side elevation partly broken away'of a level constructed in accordance with my invention, the two sections of the legs or level being open. Fig. 2 is a rear end elevation of the level showing the means whereby the angle taken by one of the legs or sections to the other leg or section may be noted and read. Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross section on the line 1-l of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1.

Corresponding and Vlike parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the accompanying drawings by Vthe same reference characters.

Referring to these drawings, it will be' Specication of Letters Patent.

YPatented J une 1, 1915.

Application led April 22, 1913. Serial No. 762,950.

seen that the body of the level is composed of two legs orsections of wood or otherl suitable material, these sections being designated respectively 2 and 3. These sections have the same length and are hinged together at one end by means of the leaf members t.

For the purpose of shifting the two sections of the body relative to each other, I provide a screw 5 which is formed with right and left hand screw threads, the middle of the screw being provided with a knurled disk 6 whereby the screw may be readily rotated, this disk being larger in diameter than the thickness of the sections 2 and 3. Fach of the sections 2 and 3 is formed with a recess or chamber 7, and disposed in each recess or chamber is a plate 8, this plate having inwardly extending ears 9 which are perforated.

PivotallyV mounted in the perforations of the ears are the nuts 10 which engage the right'and left hand screw threads of the screw 5. The nuts 10 are mounted upon trunnions 11 which pass through the ears 9. It will thus be seen that the nuts 10 may be rotated so as to permit the inclination of the screw 5 to alter as the sections 2 and 3 are moved from each other or toward each other.

The upper face of the section 2 is formed with a longitudinally extending recess 12 vadapted to receive a bubble tube 13. This bubble tube at its end is supported within a cap 14, and passing through this cap and into the wood beneath therecess 12 is a screw l5, this screw Vbeing notched at its upper end at 16 to receive the metal of the cap 12. The metal around the opening through which this screw passes may be pressed into this notch 16 after the screw is put in place or the cap may be formed in two sections, the edges of the sections intersecting the opening for the screw, and the two sections may be brought together to force the metal around the opening into the notch 16 and then the sections may be soldered. The other end of the tube is supported in a cap 17, having an extension or tonguewhich is supported by means of a pin 18 driven into the wood at one end of the recess. This extension of the cap 17 provides means for pivotally supporting the adjacent end of the bubble tube so as to permit the other end of the bubble tube to be 'vio raised or lowered bymeans of the screw l5.

By turning thisscrew in one direction or the as at 22 and attached to the face of the lsec.-

tion 3 iiush with .thel face of the section. Immediatelybeneath theplate21 the .end of the section 3 is cut away as at 23.

Attached to the end face of the member 2 at the "free end Athereof is an-ind'ex carry ing strip 24.` The strip 21 is longitudinally slotted as at 26 asshown in Fig. 2 and the,

face of the strip on one side ofthe slot is graduated .in fractions of an Vinch while on the other side of the slot the plate is graduated in degrees. Theouter end of the strip 24 is outwardly bent and is'notched as at 2T. inasmuch as the `body of the'strip 24 is wider than the slot 2G, it will be obvious that the notched head 28 so formed' will positively engage withthe .walls of the slot f 26 and willproject slightly'beyond those walls. This permits the scale to be accurat'elyV read Vwith relation to the index pointer or bar 28 formed by vthe head and insures vthat the plate 2l shall be held in proper relation to the index member 28 atl all times. When the members 2 and 3 are closed against each other, the strip 24will, of course, be received withinv the recess 23. A. further object in providing this interlock between the strip 24 and the plate 21, is to reduce the likelihood ofone of the sections 2 being laterally shifted relative tothe other section and to take ofi' Vtorsional strain from the hinge '4. This ar.- rangement .provides for a sliding engage# nient between the extremity ofthe section 2 and the extremity of the section 3.

'Tihe upper section 2 is cutaway in the arc of a .circle for the reception of a circular casing designated 29 and illustrated in Fig. 3. This casing is yformed with the annular marginal flange 30 which is disposed upon the face of the member `2 and extends downV below the inner edge of said member asY illustrated in Fig. l. This face is provided with degree graduations.

Passing centrally through `the casing 29 is a pivot screw 31 upon which is p'ivotally supported a nearly circular bubble glass holder 32. The upper portion of the bubble glass Aholder is transversely cutaway and formed with the upwardly projecting ears 33, `and disposed between said' ears and carried therebyis a bubble glass 34 ofthe usual character.Y `The face of the meinberx32 providevdwith the diametrically disposed notches or other indicating Mmarks desig-V nated 35 which coactlwith'fthe graduations on the annular dial flange 30. lt will be `seen that the preponderance of the weight is below the pivotal center of the member, that as a lconsequence it will ofV itself'iswing into Va horizontal position. ln order that it may be adjusted rto a truehorizontalposition, however, if desired, I provide the bubble tube v34 supported between the ears or lugs133.; Bythis means after the body of the levelhas been placed against clined object, the member 32may be r o A tatedgradually vby hand to atruehorizon-v tal position and thentheangleof thelevel with relation to a horizontal-plane may ibe readily determined by lreading the V',ldegree number Vonthevdial in conjunction with one of the'pointers korindex notchers Y34.

In order to permitthe level tov be readily carried and handled, I'fcut away the side;V faces of the-sections'2 andl acentthe ine f se.. A

Jthe vuse of'my-inventionisobvious..` The' inclination ofa surface relative .to the horizontal may be easily determined Joy-.placing l ner faces ythereof as at'36.1

the level upon thesurfaceandthen 'turning upon the screw 6 until the upper secti'oiifrises toa horizontaldposition which is indicatedby th'exbubble glass 1,3. The inclination. of vthe. surface measured may then be read by. means of the scale -21and the'pointer or index 23 The scale maybe either readfifn inches or ide# grees as :desired and .willi-ndicazteieither in inches or degrees the fall Lof an object,for the inclinationof'a surface. -Whereft=he level as a whole is intended to .be used for determinf ing ,afdegree .of inclination, theY pivoted bubble carrier 32 is 4used inconjunction lwith the scale 30 inthe ymanner previouslysetforth.

The inclinat-ion for batter of a wall may also be! determined by this instrument :n an .ob vious manner.l f .Y

what i siam is: -Y

l. A level of the character coin-3l posed of two vlongitudinal .sections hingedly connected Aat one end, the inner face of 4the sections b eingfrecessed, plates Ydisposed; upon iis the linner faces of the sections land hav-ing"Vv inwardly turned ears extendingv intofsaid recesses, nuts-disposed nbetween said ears and having vtrun-nions p ivotally engagingithe ears, a right and letti-rand' screw engaging said nuts, the screwrbeing provided with a disl; at its middle wherehyit may, befro-V tated.

2. A level connected'laftxone end, means. disposed bei tween the ends of the sections rfor shitting n of thefchara'cter described inf cluding two longitudinal sections thingedly them into parallel ordivergent relation, at'

slotted'scale plate attached tothe end face of one'of the -sectionsand havingl graduarse i tions on its face, the end of the said section beneath the slotted plate being partially cut away to form a recess, and an angular strip attached to the other section having its extremity outwardly bent and extended through the slot, the terminal portion of the bent extremity being laterally widened to extend laterally over the face of the re'- cess.

3. A level of the character described formed in two longitudinal sections hingedly connected at one end, the inner face of each of the sections being recessed, a plate disposed against the inner face of each section and extending over said recess, said plate having angularly'bent ears extending into the recess, nuts pivotally mounted one in each pair of ears, and a right and left hand screw extending through said nuts, the middle of the screw being formed with a head greater in diameter than the width of the ections whereby the screw may be manipuate 4. A level of the character described having a bubble glass recess upon its face, a bubble glass therein, a cap on one end of the bubble glass and having a projecting tongue, a pin engaging the tongue and permitting the bubble glass to have pivotal movement with relation to the pin, a cap mounted on the other end of the glass and having a perforation, and a screw passing through said perforation and into the body of the level, said screw being notched to engage the cap.

In testimony whereof I aHx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

IRviN s. CREAMER. [La] Witnesses:

JOHN W. CREAMER, ALONZO J. MORRISON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents,

` Washington, D. C. 

